College forum offers guidance to high school students

Tyler White

Published 6:19 pm, Thursday, October 4, 2012

Photo: JAMES DURBIN

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Abigail Kyei, a Junior at Lee High, speaks with Jeremy Martinez, Director of Admissions for Midland College, during the College Forum Thursday at the Chaparrel Center. The free event gave students and families the opportunity to meet representatives from various area colleges. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram less

Abigail Kyei, a Junior at Lee High, speaks with Jeremy Martinez, Director of Admissions for Midland College, during the College Forum Thursday at the Chaparrel Center. The free event gave students and families ... more

Photo: JAMES DURBIN

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The Texas Tech table draws a large crowd during the College Forum Thursday at the Chaparrel Center. The free event gave students and families the opportunity to meet representatives from various area colleges. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram less

The Texas Tech table draws a large crowd during the College Forum Thursday at the Chaparrel Center. The free event gave students and families the opportunity to meet representatives from various area colleges. ... more

Photo: JAMES DURBIN

College forum offers guidance to high school students

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High school students from Midland and Odessa explored their options Thursday night at a college forum at Chaparral Center.

The annual event, sponsored by Midland College, Midland ISD and the Midland Reporter-Telegram, featured schools from across Texas and the surrounding states. Student recruiters offered brochures to teens and their parents and answered questions about campus life. The high school students had the opportunity to network with recruiters and peers with similar interests.

College fairs give families an opportunity to learn about colleges that they might not be able to visit, said Ron Moss, Midland ISD director of Guidance & Counseling. Moss said students might discover schools that they had never heard of before, and some of those schools might offer programs and specialized classes.

The event provides students with helpful insight into nearby colleges, said Pooja Singh, a junior at Trinity School. Singh said she wants to study biology or business, and having a number of colleges together in a single event allows her to weigh the pros and cons of each school. By doing so, she said she can decide which college is a better fit for her.

Pooja said this is important because she has not decided what major she will pursue.

"It's hard to narrow down what school you're interested in and what to look for in a college," she said.

The event helps out parents just as much as the kids, said Brent Shuler, whose daughter, Emily, plans on visiting the University of North Texas. The forum provides a method of matching schools with a student's interests, which Shuler said will help him offer educated advice on the different schools.

Emily Shuler said she's been able to weed out schools that do not offer programs in graphic design, which she is interested in pursuing in college.

The students and their parents aren't the only beneficiaries, said Amanda Ritchie, a student recruiter for Tarleton State University.

The recruiters become really close, said Ritchie, who enjoys bouncing ideas off other recruiters in order to help out prospective students. Ritchie said the chance to help high school students decide on their future is a fulfilling experience.